1. Maternal Microbiome and Infections in Pregnancy
- Author
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Julia A. Brown, Aparna Ananthanarayanan, Mohammed Amir, Stephanie L. Rager, Melody Y. Zeng, and Katherine Z. Sanidad
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Microbiology (medical) ,Physiology ,gut microbiome ,Review ,Oral cavity ,Microbiology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immune system ,Virology ,Medicine ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Microbiome ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Pregnancy ,Fetus ,business.industry ,Human physiology ,medicine.disease ,Gut microbiome ,infection ,030104 developmental biology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,Vagina ,sense organs ,pregnancy ,business ,metabolism - Abstract
Pregnancy induces unique changes in maternal immune responses and metabolism. Drastic physiologic adaptations, in an intricately coordinated fashion, allow the maternal body to support the healthy growth of the fetus. The gut microbiome plays a central role in the regulation of the immune system, metabolism, and resistance to infections. Studies have reported changes in the maternal microbiome in the gut, vagina, and oral cavity during pregnancy; it remains unclear whether/how these changes might be related to maternal immune responses, metabolism, and susceptibility to infections during pregnancy. Our understanding of the concerted adaption of these different aspects of the human physiology to promote a successful pregnant remains limited. Here, we provide a comprehensive documentation and discussion of changes in the maternal microbiome in the gut, oral cavity, and vagina during pregnancy, metabolic changes and complications in the mother and newborn that may be, in part, driven by maternal gut dysbiosis, and, lastly, common infections in pregnancy. This review aims to shed light on how dysregulation of the maternal microbiome may underlie obstetrical metabolic complications and infections.
- Published
- 2020